Manzumat al-Kawakib منظومة الكواكب

The Author: Imam Muhammad ibn Hasan al-Kawakibi (d. 1096 AH)

Imam al-Kawakibi was one of the foremost Hanafi jurists of his time and served as the Mufti of Aleppo. His didactic poem, Manzumat al-Kawakib (The Poem of the Stars), takes its name both from his family name and from the idea that the principles of Usul al-Fiqh illuminate the path of the student like stars.

The Work: A Poetic Rendering of Matn al-Manar

Comprising 1,754 couplets, Manzumat al-Kawakib is a remarkable versification of Matn al-Manar, the celebrated Hanafi primer in Usul al-Fiqh by Imam Hafiz al-Din al-Nasafi (d. 710 AH). Rather than offering a brief summary, Imam al-Kawakibi faithfully transforms nearly the entire text into elegant and memorable poetry.

The poem covers the major subjects of Hanafi legal theory, including:

• The categories and implications of legal expressions, such as al-Khass, al-Aam, al-Mushtarak, and al-Mu'awwal.

• The levels of textual clarity, including al-Zahir, al-Nass, al-Mufassar, and al-Muhkam, together with their corresponding opposites.

• The principles of analogical reasoning (Qiyas), juristic preference (Istihsan), and other foundational topics in Hanafi Usul.

Its poetic form makes these highly technical discussions easier to memorize and review, making the work an invaluable aid for students of Islamic law.

The Editor: Dr. Abdullah ibn Izz al-Din Miskeen

This edition has been critically edited by Dr. Abdullah ibn Izz al-Din Miskeen, who carefully compared multiple manuscript copies to establish a reliable text. His editorial work also preserves the poem's metrical integrity and includes beneficial annotations that reference Matn al-Manar and its major classical commentaries, helping readers better understand the verses.

The Publisher: Maktabat al-Ghanim

Maktabat al-Ghanim is recognized for publishing high-quality editions of classical Islamic works, particularly in the Hanafi school and the Arabic language sciences. This beautifully typeset edition reflects the publisher's commitment to preserving and making accessible the rich legacy of Hanafi scholarship.